The storm over Veylport hadn't let up. Rain cut across shattered streets like thin knives, and broken shadows stretched from the debris of Rayon's earlier fight. The ten Awakeners were battered, bloodied, humiliated—but alive. They had delivered Draven's message. The Circle was coming.
Rayon's violet eyes lifted toward the skies, scanning the horizon as a massive, almost godly aura descended. The clouds seemed to part themselves as a figure landed in the middle of the ruined square.
Erethon: Ah… finally… the old man. The one who calls himself founder. If anyone could force Full Potential Rayon to respect… it would be him.
The figure's presence alone distorted the air. He moved with slow, deliberate steps. His robes, dark but streaked with crimson, fluttered unnaturally in the storm. His face, weathered and carved like granite, held the aura of a man who had shaped the world through sheer force.
Rayon (smirking, voice low): "So… this is the guy everyone fears. Looks… old. Tired. Yet… I can feel it. Every step he takes? The world bends a little."
He stopped a few meters from Rayon. His eyes burned with an intensity that could rival the sun itself. Fire spiraled lazily around his fists, heat radiating off him like two suns had been trapped in one body.
"I am Elydrin Solvar, founder of the Awakeners Association," the man said, voice deep and resonant, shaking the rain itself. "And you… are a curiosity I must witness in combat before all else."
Rayon chuckled faintly, hands in pockets, coat brushing against the shattered cobblestones. "Curiosity, huh? That's cute. I hope you're ready… because I love fun."
Vorthalaxis coiled tighter, black scales glinting faintly. "Master… he's… he's on another level. Even you will need to push… everything."
Elydrin stepped forward, palms open, fire burning like two suns above his fists. The air sizzled, and the ground beneath him cracked. Rayon tilted his head slightly, expression bored. Without a word, he activated his hollow strings, letting them snake across the battlefield like silent predators.
The first clash was explosive. Rayon darted forward, Insanity flaring, moving faster than the eye could follow. Hollow strings wrapped around Elydrin's fists, snapping like whips. Fire erupted, scorching the city square, but Rayon's body adapted, Insanity fueling strength, regeneration, and reflexes beyond comprehension.
Erethon: See that? Each second he survives, he grows. Not just stronger… smarter, faster, deadlier. And this… this is just the start.
Rayon landed blows with the precision of a master assassin, each strike calculated to probe, tease, and learn. Elydrin responded in kind, every punch generating heat so intense that molten stone formed beneath his feet. The two moved like titans, trading blows that could obliterate mountains, neither yielding.
Rayon (grinning): "You've got some fun moves, old man… but let's see how you like this."
He unleashed a flurry of Insanity-powered strikes, strings lashing like serpents, cutting across Elydrin's defenses. Fire met strings, flames coiling around and then being consumed and redirected by Rayon's hollow strings. Sparks and molten slag flew in all directions.
Minutes stretched to hours. Every punch, kick, and string manipulation shook the city. Shadows danced like living creatures. Yet, neither could truly harm the other. Rayon's Insanity state absorbed, adapted, and evolved with every attack, making him stronger the longer he fought.
Erethon: He's learning… evolving. Every strike Elydrin lands… it feeds him. And even now, he hasn't reached his limits.
Elydrin's fire swirled around him like a living storm, enough heat to vaporize rivers. Yet, Rayon moved through it, a predator at play, grinning with pure arrogant thrill.
Rayon (laughing, voice carrying over the storm): "You're strong… I'll give you that. Strong enough that I respect the effort. But admit it—every strike you've landed… just made me stronger. Every last one."
Elydrin's eyes narrowed, fire flaring. "You… survive my greatest attacks… you are… unlike any being I have encountered."
Erethon: Exactly. And the beauty… the absolute art of it… he doesn't fear you. He respects you… but he knows the world is his playground.
The battle reached a crescendo: Elydrin unleashed flames that could melt continents, rivers of heat that scalded the sky. Rayon danced through them, Insanity roaring, strings slicing, weaving, absorbing. Blow after blow, the city square melted into a chaotic inferno, yet Rayon stood, unbroken, exhilarated, alive.
Finally, Rayon stepped back, chest heaving slightly, coat fluttering in the ash-filled wind. He looked at Elydrin with a grin. "Enough… for now. You could have destroyed everything here. I could have let you… but I don't kill those I respect."
Elydrin, still radiating heat, looked down at Rayon, eyes narrowed but unafraid. "You… are truly remarkable. I would not have thought it possible to meet someone who could withstand even a fraction of my power."
Rayon smirked faintly, adjusting his coat. "Respect is earned, old man. You kept up. That's rare. I like that."
Vorthalaxis hissed softly, coiling around Rayon's arm. "Master… you could have ended him. Yet… you didn't. Fascinating."
Erethon: This is it. The lesson of full potential Rayon. He respects strength, he revels in combat… but he bows to no one. And he doesn't kill without reason.
Rayon turned, walking casually toward the forest edge. Behind him, Elydrin's fire simmered, eyes burning with respect and curiosity.
Rayon (to himself, faint smile): The second seal won't wait forever. Let's see what's next.
As Rayon vanished into the mist of the forest, Erethon whispered in his mind, sardonic and gleeful:
Erethon: Oh… the world has no idea what's coming. Two suns, firestorms, full potential… and you… you're just getting started.
Far above, in the ruins of the city square, the smoke and molten rubble twisted in unnatural patterns. Somewhere, the Awakeners Circle began to murmur unease. They knew a storm had risen… and this time, it was untouchable, unstoppable, and unapologetic.
Rayon's next destination loomed: the second seal, waiting for him in the shadows of a forsaken island, teeming with unknown threats.
And behind him, Vorthalaxis coiled tightly, Erethon's voice whispering in amusement:
Erethon: Let's see how far this madness can take you…